Slowly, In Time
by the lola
Summary: The 5th of October, a chapter for this day over ten years and what Dramione are doing. Starting off with a sexual encounter where nothing is certain, and chance meeting after chance meeting, as well as throwing Blaise Zabini in the mix, is time really enough for them?
1. 2002

**Word Count:** 1,222

**Challenge/Competition: **One Day Competition

**Prompts:** Write a ten chapter multi-chapter with word-count between 500-1500 about what your chosen pairing is doing on each year of the same day for ten years, take my ten prompts. Prompt for this chapter: Thoughts.

**Warnings:** None

**Disclaimer:** I don't claim to own Harry Potter, it's all JKR's.

**Note: **This is slightly AU (it will become obvious), and technically disregards the DH epilogue. In case you don't pick up on it, the guy who cheated on Hermione is Ron.

* * *

**5th October ; year – 2002 ; Cormac McLaggen's Divorce Party.**

* * *

Hermione crashed against the stone wall, leaning over, letting her _stupid _mask fall to the floor and holding her head in her hands. _Don't cry… don't you dare cry. _She knew this would be a bad idea from the moment Ginny suggested it – after all, who had _divorce_ parties? Right, Cormac McLaggen, of course.

Now, she had finally been left alone to her thoughts. There were too many people asking too many questions and she couldn't do it anymore. She had thought she was strong enough to handle this but she wasn't, even two years on everything was far too raw. The sympathetic looks, the awkward compliments and the quiet questions… yes, okay, she had been cheated on and then he had fled the country, it wasn't like he bloody _died_!

She was okay, she was mending. Okay, some days she might still curl up in the bed and try to disappear, but who didn't have those days? She had been hurt and it wasn't just going to go away, she couldn't just switch it off – believe her, she'd tried… being in almost constant pain was better than that heavy feeling of constantly repressing something.

Suddenly her surroundings came back into focus and she realized she had absolutely no idea where she was. As she heard the sounds of a man and a woman shouting, she backed into the double doors next to her and found herself in what she assumed was a giant dining room. The huge height of her heels caused her to stumble in her struggle, and she ended up falling backwards onto the table.

Sitting forward, she frowned at herself. What was this? Who was she trying to be – who was she trying to kid? The bushy haired and geeky girl was long gone and nowhere to be seen. Her hair was held in tight waves, her face painted perfectly – brilliant red lips paired with darkly outlined eyes, a floor-length black dress, backless but reasonably highly cut at the neckline and a slit on one side which came to mid-thigh, coupled with red platform stilettos. This wasn't her – she knew it wasn't, she just didn't know what was. It felt false but it felt right because she could hide under it and hiding was now what she _needed_.

Till now, she hadn't realised just how dark the room she was in was. There were a few candles that allowed her to make out the large room but other than that, nothing. She pushed herself up onto the giant oak table just as the heavy doors slid open, and a certain blonde haired man slid himself through whilst mumbling to himself angrily. As he looked up, his eyes widened in surprise… "Well, hello there…"

She rolled her eyes, he obviously couldn't quite make out who it was – after all, she was barely recognizable these days. Still, her mind suddenly sparked as she found an opportunity in this… the opportunity to forget, to pretend, to be anyone that wasn't 'Hermione Granger, the girl who was cheated on by Ron Weasley.' "Well, she sounded pretty angry." The voice she spoke in didn't even sound like Hermione Granger.

Draco looked up, taking slow and calculated steps towards her. "I don't know why, she's the lying bitch."

She cocked her head, swinging her legs in the air. "Astoria Greengrass?"

He frowned, "How would you know?"

"Everyone knows," She said simply, shrugging. Was this really working? He _seriously _didn't know who she was? Good.

"What's a beautiful girl like you doing in here all alone?" His steps became faster as he began to close the difference between them, and before she knew it they were mere centimetres apart.

"I don't think you'd like the story… let's just say, I've been waiting for someone to find me in here all night." She pressed her painted lips together whilst raising both eyebrows, feeling the adrenalin race through her veins as she warped into a different person. Was she really going to do this? Had this really become her? Well… it was just one night, one night which could be easily forgotten and one night in which she could finally make her pain disappear.

"And by someone you mean…?" He said in a husky voice, pressing his body close to hers.

"Anyone." She smiled devilishly and all the candles went out with a non-verbal spell she'd used. _Three seconds to back out, you have three seconds! 3…2…1… _She got to zero and found herself wrapping her thin legs around his broad waist – he'd definitely filled out since their Hogwarts years.

He leant his head against hers, "Well isn't it good I turned up then?"

She wrapped her hands around his neck, "No talking," She mumbled as she kissed his neck feverishly. _Lose yourself… just lose yourself. _

He ran his hands up and down her back and kissed her roughly on the lips, his own becoming smudged with her lipstick. Their tongues battled for dominance as she fumbled with his buttons while he tugged her dress up to her waist. He kissed along the small amount of skin that was on show on her chest as she tried to wiggle out of her dress but frustrated, he tugged it off, making her hair all rumpled. Both of their faces became flushed as the rest of their clothes came off and the room became incredibly hot. Her long and delicately painted nails dragged down his back as she mewled in pleasure, finally losing herself.

When both of their bodies were limp as they panted against each other, Hermione jolted back to reality. She looked inside herself and felt no pain, but it could only be temporary, surely. Genuinely, she could not believe that that had just happened, but she didn't care – she had wanted to be miles away from herself and now she was. She grabbed her dress and pulled it on, and taking her shoes in her hand, she made to leave.

He grabbed her wrist. "I want to see you again."

She shook her head rapidly, leaving before he could have the opportunity to say anymore.

* * *

**A/N- **So, what did you guys think? Like I said at the beginning, this will be 10 chapters long (but maybe with an epilogue) of what the wonderful Dramione are doing on the 5th of October every year for ten years. I hope it made sense as to why Hermione did it & didn't seem really out of the blue, I tried really hard with this!

Anyhow, please review, favourite and alert - it will mean the world to me but I'd really _really_ rather you guys didn't favourite/alert without reviewing, even if it's just a couple of words to say good job! :)


	2. 2003

**Word Count:** 749

**Challenge/Competition: **One Day Competition

**Prompts:** Write a ten chapter multi-chapter with word-count between 500-1500 about what your chosen pairing is doing on each year of the same day for ten years, take my ten prompts. Prompt for this chapter: Polka Dots

**Warnings:** None

**Disclaimer:** I don't claim to own Harry Potter, it's all JKR's.

**Note: **This is slightly AU (it will become obvious), and technically disregards the DH epilogue.

* * *

**5th October ; 2003 **

* * *

Draco dawdled along the quiet little backstreet, no particular destination in mind – he was just happy to have lost the writers and cameras that seemed to constantly be following him. Glancing at his watch, he clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth, frustrated; there would be no time at all to get lunch at this rate.

Still, the ministry couldn't have been far and there had to be somewhere along this quirky little street that sold something edible. Scanning the rows of almost obviously wizarding shops, his eyes landed on an unassuming little shop front. His stomach growled angrily, and he quickened his pace.

It was rickety and old, with dingy brickwork and a worn wooden roof, but the sign offered coffee and cake, which was just fine for him. As he peered inside through the large front window, his eyes widened at the woman behind the counter. She was standing with her back to him, but he could see her perfectly plain red and white polka dot dress, with those same tight waves, dark lashes and a hint of that brilliant red lipstick. What were the odds?

As he fumbled on his feet, he managed to stumble through the doors before composing himself. Smoothing down his shirt and running a hand through his hair, he took a seat at the counter. "Coffee and cake please." He watched as she tensed up completely, before relaxing and turning around to face him. As he took in her features in full daylight, he realised.

_Hermione Granger_.

"Which cake?" She said in a strained voice, nothing like the voice he'd heard that night.

He took slow breaths in and out, telling himself he'd known it was her. He had – everyone knew about her drastic image change, about her ruined relationship, her shame and embarrassment over it all - it was all over the papers! He'd known, really… he'd known this whole time. Hermione's irritated sigh dragged him out of his thoughts, and he shook his head forcefully. "Uh… on second thoughts-"

Before he could make to leave though, she had placed a hot cup of coffee straight in front of him. "Milk?"

"No… I take it black," He said blankly, putting two teaspoons of brown sugar into his mug as she placed a brownish coloured slice of cake next to the coffee. He looked to her quizzically as she half smiled and turned around.

"Coffee cake," She said simply as she picked up two mugs and carried them across the room, engaging in conversation with an intelligent looking couple.

He couldn't take his eyes off her. It was Hermione Granger… muggleborn princess (he no longer had any blood prejudices), know-it-all, bushy-haired, ugly, bucktooth, annoying, irritating, stuck up, prudish Hermione Granger. Except… she seemed like a completely different person, _that_ woman was not Hermione Granger.

"My hair still too bushy for you, Malfoy?" She was stood directly in front of him with a hand on her hip.

"That's right. It sticks up there, and there, and there." He pointed with a shaky hand to the non-existent bushiness.

Rolling her eyes, she smoothed down her dress and walked back to behind the counter, pottering with things to avoid Draco's searing gaze.

"What happened to you?" Draco narrowed his eyes.

Raising her eyebrows and leaning on the counter she replied, "Nothing. Nothing at all."

Her cinnamon eyes revealed everything though – she was most certainly still in there, in pain. "Weasley?... after all this time?"

"Mind your own business," She snapped, "Mending takes time." Pain flickered across her features, but it disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared.

"Don't be a bitch, Granger," He paused, "Not five years, that's not mending - it's living in the past."

"You do know I have the right to refuse service to anyone I want, right?" She frowned.

He looked at his watch, cussing as he saw the time – five minutes to get back to work. "Lucky for you, I have to be off…"

"Bye," She said flatly, pouring the remainder of his coffee down the sink.

As he stepped outside and the bitter October wind hit him, he stomped his foot on the ground and swore under his breath again and again. What was _that_? Why didn't he bring up last year? Why didn't they jump down each other's throats like always? There were too many questions to be left unanswered, but he was sure of one thing: he would be revisiting that café.

* * *

**A/N- **Well hello there! I hope you all like this chapter, sorry it's slightly shorter than the last but I won't have a fixed amount that each chapter will be, because to me for it to be realistically on the same day the next year, they would have barely any interaction - something big wouldn't happen to them every year. I want to thank Light Under My Skin, short and proud, Gracie, PSDancer54 and Couture Girl for your lovely reviews - they are so appreciated!

**I'd love to hear from anyone that's reading on your thoughts, ideas and suggestions for where this story goes. So, please drop me a review & please don't favourite/alert without reviewing! :)**


	3. 2004

**Word Count:** 1,325

**Challenge/Competition: **One Day Competition

**Prompts:** Write a ten chapter multi-chapter with word-count between 500-1500 about what your chosen pairing is doing on each year of the same day for ten years, take my ten prompts. Prompt for this chapter: Bump.

**Warnings:** None

**Disclaimer:** I don't claim to own Harry Potter, it's all JKR's.

**Note: **This is slightly AU, and technically disregards the DH epilogue.

* * *

**5th October ; 2004**

* * *

Hermione stood in front of her large mirror, still not used to the person she found staring back. Her hair was pulled into tight curls, her eyes darkly outlined. She wore a coral coloured, mid-thigh and frame-fitting dress with matching lipstick as well as soaring black platform wedges.

By now, she had thought she would have found herself. By now, she thought she would have mended. She had her café, she had her boyfriend, she had her friends - she was technically happy in every sense of the word but there was something keeping her from being herself again. A part of her _knew_ that it was because she was scared no one wanted the old Hermione – this version was better, attractive, desirable, admired… and that was better than fading into the Hermione that made the love of her life cheat on her.

Glancing at the clock, she grimaced. Dinner with Blaise, Astoria and Draco… Blaise had made the effort with her friends, so she had to do the same with his – meet each other half way as they always had in the two months they'd been together. She still found herself in shock from the fact she was dating Blaise Zabini of all people, but he made her happy. He was the first person who seemed to appreciate her in a long time, and she wasn't going to ignore that.

Thinking back through the past year or so, Hermione realised all the times she met Blaise: with Draco. It wasn't as if she liked Draco, but he was always around in her café observing her with those painfully knowing eyes, always watching and observing but never actually talking. That painful awkwardness still hung heavy in the air when they were together, especially since he'd sprung the conversation about… _that night_, on her. Draco seemed to just have turned up to the café with Blaise too many times, watched her and let Blaise do the talking too many times.

Taking a deep breath, she thought of Blaise's house until she apparated with a pop, feeling that terrible hooking feeling take hold of her. As she arrived at the black painted door, it swung open to the subtly happy face of Blaise. "Hello, bella," He said softly, pulling her in for a kiss on the lips. "You're late. Everything okay?"

She forced a tight smile. "Everything's fine, Blaise - just lost track of time." It wasn't a lie – she always lost track of time, she had no sense of time because she still felt as though she was the exact same person she was two, three years ago. As he took her dainty hand in his large one, he led her in through the familiar, extravagant household.

"Here we go." Blaise smiled slightly, never one to go overboard with emotions. "You all know each other here, so I hardly think introductions are necessary! Wine anyone?"

"Please," Hermione said quietly as she glanced across the table – Draco was opposite her, with Astoria opposite Blaise. She felt a tension hanging in the air before she even walked in, and as she looked at Draco's expression of stone with his grey gaze on the floor, and Astoria's sharp expression as she scowled in nothing in particular, she couldn't help but wonder why on earth they couldn't seem to leave each other alone.

"Hello Hermione," Draco said rather blankly, finally switching his gaze from the floor to her eyes. Hermione couldn't help but grimace slightly as it happened, because she could never settle the feeling that he could read her completely when their eyes locked.

She nodded politely. "Hello Draco, Astoria. How are you both?"

"Fine," Astoria muttered through a clenched jaw, her eyes not shifting from her manicured nails.

"We're fine, thank you. What about you? Any particular reason you're late?" He didn't say it in a nasty tone, just a genuinely questioning and much too formal one, but Hermione knew that he _knew _the answer to his questions.

"Just caught up in time, like always," Blaise chuckled, trying to alleviate some of the tension.

Hermione smiled a horribly fake smile, "Indeed. Excuse me; I'll be back in one moment." She slid her chair across the marble floor, before marching out the room as quickly as she could. Although she'd been here often, it was a huge house and she could get easily lost. That was okay, she wanted lost – she didn't know why she'd thought this could possibly go okay… she'd known Astoria was a super bitch, and that Draco wasn't much of a talker around her. Easily enough, she found the bathroom, and took a moment to breathe.

As she stepped out, she bumped straight into Draco. "Oh gosh, I'm so sorry!" She put a hand on his arm subconsciously, and the heat between them seemed to further intensify.

"That's okay. Blaise sent me looking for you," He said, now trying to avoid her gaze as much as possible.

"He sent you? Why?" She frowned confusedly, stepping back a couple of steps from Draco.

"Said he needed a word with Astoria…" He trailed off awkwardly, looking at his feet. "If you don't want to be with Blaise, why are you here? Why are you trying?"

She gulped hard, as that horrible panicking feeling took over her chest. When they'd caught eyes, she knew that he knew. She didn't know how, but he knew. "What are you talking about Draco?" She rolled her eyes. "Why are you still trying with Astoria when you clearly despise each other?"

"Don't talk about things that you're far too simple to understand," He fired back, maliciously.

She smirked inwardly; glad to have finally left awkward Malfoy behind. "That I'm far too simple to understand? Draco, I think you know I'm not _simple_," She said in a clipped tone, trying to hold her anger back.

Stepping closer to Hermione and completely invading her personal space, he replied, "When it comes to matters of the heart, all you are is simple."

She'd thought she was desensitized to comments about her – people always talked, and they had said every possible thing they could about her. However, simple was something she'd never been called and especially not by someone as seemingly perceptive as Draco Malfoy. And it stung, like something inside of her had been cut – she subconsciously had allowed a little hole to form in her shield. "When it comes to matters of the heart, you do not have one to judge these things with," She uttered, and they stared at each other – cinnamon eyes locked on grey, in a pregnant silence. Guilt, regret, jealously, anger, sadness, and everything that shouldn't have mixed in the air and danced in their eyes. Their faces were so close they were almost touching, and their body language was defensive and sharp.

"Tell Blaise that I felt ill, that I had to leave," She muttered, finally stepping back from their confrontation and smoothing her dress over.

"Don't do that," He said, grabbing her wrist tightly.

"Do what?" She frowned, attempting to tug her wrist away from him.

"Hide. You're always hiding. Stop it."

She attempting to keep her expression as blank as possible – if people can't read you, they can't hurt you. All she had done for the past six years was hide, but she didn't care and all she'd probably ever do was hide. After another long silence, she replied, "I'm not hiding. I'm leaving."

"Name it what you like, but it's hiding." He released her wrist, and scanned her figure up and down. "You look nice tonight." And with that he turned on his heel to walk back to the dining room.

Left in the empty hallway, there was nothing she could do but stand, unblinking. There was something about him that she really didn't like, that she really didn't understand… he was a riddle of sorts, and Hermione Granger could never leave a riddle unsolved.

* * *

**A/N- **So I hoped you all liked this! I kept thinking of things for this chapter and putting them all on a memo on my phone haha, but I've finally managed to put it all together. Thank you to Hannah Carson, A Phoenix From The Ashes, short and proud, Light Under My Skin and PSDancer54 for your lovely and helpful reviews, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

I'd love a quick review to let me know how I'm doing and if you're enjoying, even if it's just a couple of words but please don't favourite/alert without reviewing! Until next time :)


	4. 2005

**Word Count:** 1,426

**Challenge/Competition: **One Day Competition

**Prompts:** Write a ten chapter multi-chapter with word-count between 500-1500 about what your chosen pairing is doing on each year of the same day for ten years, take my ten prompts. Prompt for this chapter: Family.

**Warnings:** Swearing.

**Disclaimer:** I don't claim to own Harry Potter, it's all JKR's.

**Note: **This is slightly AU, and technically disregards the DH epilogue.

* * *

**5th October ; 2005**

* * *

Draco tapped his foot, irritated, against the marble floor under his feet. "Really Blaise?"

Blaise looked hopefully towards Draco. "Please?"

The blonde haired wizard laughed to himself, as if Hermione Granger was going to listen to _him_, of all people. Every time he'd attempted to play relationship counsellor it ended in a hex, tears, an argument, or him being kicked out of wherever they were. Still, anything for… he shook his head to himself. Anything for Blaise. He sighed, "Okay, I guess."

The dark skinned man leapt forward, grabbing Draco and kissing him on the cheek. "She's at the café."

Standing outside the large glass window, Draco stared at Hermione as she smiled politely to one of her regular couples and handed them their large mugs. He barely supressed a flinch at thinking how badly this could go. Why was he always dragged into these things? He rolled his eyes at himself.

He'd rather be doing this than be at home with Astoria – she was even whinier today than she was yesterday, he was living in his apartment with her yet he pretty much despised the woman. Honestly, he was falling apart and there was no one around to pull him back together.

So Draco took a deep breath, putting his emotionless face on, before stepping into the familiar setting of Hermione's café. The waitress that worked there on Saturdays – the busy day, smiled broadly at Draco. What was her name? Daisy? Dorea?... Dacia? Yes, Dacia, that was it. She was a pretty little thing, just not quite Draco's type.

"What can I get you Draco? The usual?" Dacia said in that ridiculously sugary voice she often used on him.

He nodded stiffly, making his way to the seats around the bar counter, trying to collect his thoughts in his head. There was just something about Hermione that threw him off his game, even after seeing her at least weekly for the past year… he could always read her, and it unnerved him as much as it unnerved her. He wasn't sure why he kept attempting to fix their broken relationship… maybe it because he didn't want to find that broken woman he found at the McLaggen divorce party, throwing herself around.

As the black coffee and a slice of coffee cake found its way in front of him, he looked up to meet Hermione – hands on her hips, eyebrows raised. "Draco, don't even try it."

Honestly, he did feel bad for even trying on this one – why would Hermione want a family with Blaise? She obviously didn't love the man, but that man was still Blaise's best friend, so here he was. "Try what? I've just come for coffee and cake." Draco smirked, eyeing Hermione playfully.

"Blaise always does this!" She threw her hands up in the air, rolling her eyes. "Who on earth would send Draco Malfoy to Hermione Granger to sort out their relationship problems?" She said, sharply.

Draco opened his mouth to quip back at her, but she put a finger to his lips. "Don't answer that." She said warningly, with raised eyebrows.

He had to admit, he liked having her around at times – she may have still been the most irritating person he'd ever met, but she was an intellectual match and happened to own a café that he didn't have to pay at, so it wasn't _all_ bad.

"How's Astoria?" Hermione asked, tapping her lilac painted nails against the bar.

He forgot to answer her, instead sent into thinking by her perfect nails. Why wasn't she okay, still? He wanted to know; every time he saw her… he just wanted to fly at her with so many questions. Was she ever going to be the old her again? Even though at times he may have forgotten she was different, half the time it didn't even feel like it was Hermione Granger he was talking to.

"Draco…" Hermione sighed agitatedly.

Shaking his head, he widened his eyes in an attempt to zone back into reality. "Don't change the subject, Granger. You, Zabini… what's going on?" He smirked again, still playful.

"You know I won't tell you anything if you call me Granger," She snapped at him, no longer a playful intonation to her voice.

"It's like you hate being associated with yourself," He observed, watching as a flinch flickered across her perfectly made-up face, before she gulped and closed her eyes slowly and deliberately, then settled back into her normal composure.

"Just because I find calling someone by their last name rude, I hate being associated with myself? Okay… who's changing the subject now?" She then turned around, smoothing her purple sundress over before picking up a dirty mug and beginning to clean it.

Draco nodded slowly, "So now that the conversations on you, you're willing to talk about Blaise." He cringed at himself… for some reason, their conversations often went somewhere down this path. It was the weird way he could just read her, he could barely stop the words from falling from his lips most the time – she was just transparent to him.

The brunette woman dropped the mug, and they both watched as it shattered into pieces. "Can't you see that I'm working Draco? It isn't like that at all," She hissed, bending down to clear up the broken pieces of the mug.

And once again, he couldn't stop himself. "Oh, really?" He raised an eyebrow, smirking at the position she was in on the floor.

"Really."

Draco chuckled to himself, and silence settled between them as the man sipped on his coffee, whilst the woman cleared up the mess from the floor.

"Fine. You want to talk about me? Let's talk about me." She pulled up a stool opposite Draco, resting her folded arms on the counter.

Draco narrowed his eyes, unsure of where this was going. "Okay…"

She raised her eyebrows, waiting.

"Is this you now, forever?" Draco asked in the most confident voice he could find.

Hermione screwed her face up in faux confusion, but Draco could see the hurt shining in the back of her eyes, under her expression of confusion. "So we're playing twenty questions? Okay, you ask me a question and I'll ask you a question. Is this me now, forever? Well, you're going to have to explain that one a little."

"You know that you've changed. You act perfect… you look perfect… but you're not and you never were. No one is, so why do you pretend?"

The woman opposite looked taken aback. "Maybe because no one wanted me how I was before. I may not feel better off, but I look it and it's better to have people focus on what I'm wearing than the shambles that is also known as my life… Why are you like_ this_ towards me? Why do you even try?"

Draco clenched his jaw, not quite up for this. "Blaise is my best friend, I have to try... Why don't you want a family with Blaise?" He already knew the answer, but he just wanted her to say it – to admit it to herself and to him.

"I'm not ready for a family," She muttered, eyes cast on the floor.

"You're lying," He observed.

"If you already know the answer, then why are you asking the question?" She said angrily, her eyes dancing with fire.

He slammed his hand on the table, unable to hold it back anymore. "Because you're so damn _fake_! You plaster on a face, the same face, every day. You wear pretty clothes and smile to the camera day in day out. You own a café, when you could be anywhere you want in your life. You've been in a relationship for over a year, yet you don't even love the man…" He paused, unsure of whether to continue, "And you're still, five years on, not over Ron. You're a liar, to me, to Blaise, to everyone you love, and worst of all… to yourself," He seethed, unsure of why he really even _cared_ about all of those things.

Hermione's eyes went wide in embarrassment and anger, "Who are you to come in here and analyse me? _Why_ are you even here? We don't have to be friends, you don't have to get on with me for Blaise, there's something else… an ulterior motive. You're a Malfoy, and there's personal gain in everything Malfoy's do. So what's your motive, Malfoy?" She raised an eyebrow, surprisingly calm.

"Fuck you, I'm not like them." Within seconds, the café door swung shut behind him.

* * *

**A/N**- It feels like it's been so long! I'm so sorry for the huge gap between updates, my inspiration had fizzled out completely. I hope you all like this chapter and that it seems like another realistic one year jump, and that there aren't too many gaps in things you don't know. I wanted to get the playful chemistry as well as the angsty chemistry in here, so I hope you guys like that.

Thank you to **that-moment-between-strangers, titanswmrgrl, tripleloopx, short and proud, Couture Girl, PSDancer54, magic doors and Light Under My Skin **for your continued support and lovely and helpful feedback.

Any sort of review is great to hear, even if it's just a couple of words of support! Please, don't favourite/alert without reviewing :) until next time! x


	5. 2006

**Word Count:** 1,121

**Challenge/Competition: **One Day Competition

**Prompts:** Write a ten chapter multi-chapter with word-count between 500-1500 about what your chosen pairing is doing on each year of the same day for ten years, take my ten prompts. Prompt for this chapter: Potion.

**Warnings:** None.

**Disclaimer:** I don't claim to own Harry Potter, it's all JKR's.

**Note: **This is slightly AU, and technically disregards the DH epilogue. I know the dynamic is quite different between the two of them in this chapter, but I want to stress how much can change in a year... and also, that it's been four years that Draco and Hermione have sort-of-properly been getting to know each other. _That _and in my opinion it's high time we leave the angst behind for a chapter or so. Enjoy!

* * *

**5****th**** October ; 2006**

* * *

Hermione was curled up on her sofa, nervously scanning The Prophets front page – six months on and there was still articles about her and Blaise, it seemed no amount of cheating scandals, elf crime or fashion disasters could overshadow the shock of the 'golden couple' breaking up.

A tapping noise sounded against the window, and Hermione was relieved to take a break from the ridiculous article. Taking several steps towards the window, she took the note from the unfamiliar owl and unfolded it.

_Miss Granger…_

_I think we should go out for dinner. _

_DM_

She froze at the words on the paper: dinner? As in a date? With Draco Malfoy? Okay, it wasn't the same circumstances as it would have been five years ago, but they were **only **friends – just about… on a good day.

Surprisingly, after her and Blaise had parted ways he'd kept in contact with her, and continued visiting the café. Granted, it wasn't often as he used to, but still… frequent. She supposed he was around so often that she took his company for granted. But really, he was still Draco Malfoy – still an annoying, stuck up prick.

And what about Astoria? She was there, like a cyst. Maybe she'd taken it the wrong way; maybe it was just a friendly dinner. Taking a pen from the windowsill, she scrawled onto the back of the note:

'_DM'_

_As friends?_

_Hermione_

Seconds after she'd sent it, the silvery and sort-of scrawny owl flew back to the window, note in claw.

_Hermione, if you must, _

…_not quite what I had in mind. _

_Yes, DM. _

Oh, so it was exactly as she had thought… there was no _way _she would be caught dead on a _date_ with Draco Malfoy, no matter how chummy they may have seemed to become. She was still her, and he was still him, and half the time they ended up arguing like there was no tomorrow.

_Draco, _

_Don't be absurd. _

_Hermione_

On a good day, she could put up with his presence. On a bad day, she could claw his eyeballs out.

_Granger, _

_Absurd? How? _

_DM_

It was a Sunday, and Hermione had decided not to go into the café today – she needed a day to herself, and she hadn't taken a day off in over a month. Yet, she found herself doing through owl what she did in the café most days.

_Draco, _

_Absurd as in I would barely consider us friends on a good day – the circumstances under which we made friends mean we should no longer even be friends. _

_It's my day off, leave me alone._

_It's Hermione, don't irritate me _

She tapped her fingers against the window as she waited for her reply – she didn't even want to think about this foolishness any more, she just wanted a peaceful day to herself.

_Okay, Hermione_

_So, dinner tonight? _

…_Draco _

Frowning, she took the pen and scribbled a reply.

_No, I will not go out for dinner with you. _

* * *

Just as she settled into reading her book, there was a loud banging on the door. Rolling her eyes, she put her book onto the coffee table and shuffled towards the door. Upon opening it, she resisted the urge to slam it shut.

"Good morning Miss Granger, thought I might find you here… those pyjamas are awfully fetching." He winked, pushing past Hermione and walking into her hallway.

"Sure Draco, come on in…" She said sarcastically, ignoring him and taking her place back on the sofa.

After about ten minutes of her reading while he was touching her things and staring at her expectantly, she sighed agitatedly and looked up. "Why are you here?"

He smirked, taking a seat next to her on the cream couch. "Well I went to the café, but you weren't there and it wasn't the same."

"You knew I wasn't there." She frowned at the pale man.

"Obviously… but I wanted coffee, and then realised you had coffee at your house anyway." Draco grinned, before reaching out a hand and flicking her messy ponytail, "I don't think I'm going to come and see you at this time ever again, though. I thought your hair had lost its bushiness…"

Throwing her book down on the coffee table angrily, she looked at him again. "You're such a stalker."

He snorted whilst fingering the old pages of the book, "What sort of book is this? It looks about a thousand years old… if you're that short on money, I can buy you a book."

Shoving him, she got up and pointed to the door. "Go."

"Okay, I'll go…" He put his hands up in surrender, still smirking playfully, "If you come with me."

"Has anyone ever told you how _insufferable _you are? I am not going anywhere with you," She said, crossing her arms.

He was looking through her vast selection of expensive and designer coats, examining them one by one. "It's funny, because you obviously did not pick these out."

"You think insulting me makes me want to go out for dinner with you?" She raised an eyebrow.

"It's what we do! You smile when I do it, so I know it's okay."

"I do not –" Then she paused, mid-sentence. Did she smile every time he insulted her? Oh Merlin, she _did_. Well, not always, but often… what was wrong with her? "It's just a lack of male company; it has nothing to do with you."

Cocking his head, he raised both eyebrows, his grey eyes shining with something she barely recognized. "I have… a – a… potion I need help with."

"A potion? Uh-huh." She nodded, smirking. Realizing she had been smirking, she shook her head at herself – he really _was _rubbing off on her.

"Yes, it is yellow and bubbling and it should be pink and still… I _really_ need your help." He smiled innocently, doing his coat buttons up.

"Somehow, I think your potion will be fine." She laughed, pulling open her door and pushing him out into the rain.

"I'm hurt, _Granger_." He put a hand to his heart, faking a sad face before throwing up a hand in goodbye as he turned away.

* * *

Shuffling on her sofa, she realised that she couldn't stop thinking… she hadn't felt this much herself, or acted this much like the _real_ Hermione Granger since… since Ron, actually. It wasn't the same with Draco, they weren't even _friends_, but his perceptiveness meant that there was no point in her trying to hide under her façade – it was as good as transparent to him.

Still, she decided, she needed to be seeing other people… Draco was clearly driving her crazy, not that she'd expected anything less.

* * *

A/N- I really really loved writing this chapter, so I hope you all enjoyed reading as much as I did writing! I just want to thank **short and proud, light under my skin, tripleloopx, magic doors, PSDancer54, and Couture Girl **for your continued support and lovely reviews - they are sometimes the only thing that keeps me going through my jumpy inspiration!

On a quick note: sorry about the false notification for this chapter, I did post it up but it didn't work, and I haven't been on the right computer to repost it since then. Also, updates should be quicker as my plan is now finished, and the due date is in 12 days... oh **and** we're half way through the story - yay!

Reviews are lovely - just a couple of words of encouragement or to let me know your reading is great. Please alert, favourite, but don't do it without a review, I'd love to hear from all my readers! Sorry about the super long AN, but thank you if you're still reading... you're all wonderful :)


	6. 2007

**Word Count:** 1,429

**Challenge/Competition: **One Day Competition

**Prompts:** Write a ten chapter multi-chapter with word-count between 500-1500 about what your chosen pairing is doing on each year of the same day for ten years, take my ten prompts. Prompt for this chapter: Bump

**Warnings:** Swearing.

**Disclaimer:** I don't claim to own Harry Potter, it's all JKR's.

**Note: **This is slightly AU, and technically disregards the DH epilogue.

* * *

**5th October ; 2007**

* * *

Draco really didn't know what he was doing – he slumped against the bar counter, far too intoxicated for a Monday night. His head spun, his eyesight blurred, and there was that stab of sadness that no amount of alcohol could wash away.

Reaching a trembling hand out to feel around on the grainy counter, he found his glass of… he didn't actually know what it was, but it was clear and it was strong, and knocked it back, sending him further into his drunken haze.

He'd bumped into Cormac McLaggen earlier for the first time in a while, and upon asking how he'd been, Cormac told Draco how he'd been better than ever – in fact, today was the four year anniversary of his divorce. And therefore, his divorce party.

Hermione made an appearance in Draco's mind every single day since he'd last heard from her, but he'd known that he had to stop things with her – it wasn't right. No matter what he felt, she didn't feel it back and he had to accept that. But the only way for Draco to accept it, was to push her out of his life completely.

It hurt. He'd be the first to admit that fact, but forgetting her wasn't an option. He stopped going to her café, stopped owling her, stopped finding excuses to need her in his life, but she was still on his mind every day and just as she'd been making her way to the back…

Cormac McLaggen and his _fucking _reminder just had to bring her right to the centre of all his thoughts. And that, _that _is how Draco Malfoy had ended up off his face in a Muggle bar. This time four years ago, he was having _sex_ with her! And now, he hadn't spoken to her in _months_.

A girl had found her way into his lap, but he could only just make out her silhouette – he wanted to keep his head on the counter to stop it from spinning, but his eyesight was blurry anyway. Any other day, he would have said no… he hadn't been with a woman since Astoria, which made it about six months. Today though, he was glum, dwelling on thoughts of what he had been doing this time four years ago, and the girl he missed more than everything. No one would be the same as Hermione, but this girl's hair was brown and wavy, her eyes were dark like hers, and she would do.

Anything to temporarily fill the hole in his heart.

The irony of it all hit him as he shifted in his seat and attempted to get up – this is exactly what Hermione had been doing with him, and it hadn't helped anything for her. His quiet conscience told him that he shouldn't do anything permanently stupid just because he was temporarily hurt, but it was easy to ignore it.

The girl mumbled something, putting an arm around Draco and helping him up. Once standing, he abruptly felt far too sober. He shrugged her thin arm off of himself, and made for the door with her trailing just behind. "Your name?" he mumbled, it coming out rather slurred.

"Cecilia," she replied, her tone high-pitched and nasal.

Draco screwed his face up, discovering it was much easier to pretend she was Hermione if she didn't speak. He nodded slightly, acknowledging her reply, before taking unstable steps down the street and towards the local taxi company. Although really, he had no idea if he was going in the right direction at all and at no point did he look back to check if Cecilia was still trailing him.

As the road seemed to get longer and longer with no sign of a taxi company, he decided he would just wait where he was and call a taxi to come and pick them up. As he fumbled round in his pocket in search of his phone, he managed to pull out his wallet and drop it onto the floor. Blindly, he reached around in the dark for it – no sign of Cecilia, he now noticed, and no sign of his wallet either.

He groaned and got up from the crawling position he'd adopted, straight on bumping into something solid. "Shit!" he cursed, stepping backwards and almost falling. An arm grabbed him though, steadying him.

"Draco?" The woman spoke in a shaky tone.

No. He shook his head rapidly, causing his head to spin even harder than before. _Why _did his mind have to do this to him? So cruel… seeing the one thing he wanted to see the most.

As he stumbled backwards again, she grabbed his other arm. "Draco! You're drunk, aren't you? At nine o' clock?"

"Is it you… is it _really_ you?" His voice shook with anxiety, and slurred with intoxication as his eyes widened, attempting to correct his vision and _see _the woman in front of him.

"It's me, Hermione. Come on… I'll drive you home," she said softly before taking him by the shoulders and steering him towards her silver Hatchback. He could make her out a little better by that point – she looked dressed up for a night out, with a short dress and skyscraper heels on.

As she leant over him to plug his seat belt in, his senses became overwhelmed as a whiff of her perfume invaded his nostrils. "You smell… so nice…" And his eyes drooped and then shut, and when they reopened she was pulling up to his apartment.

"Do you need me to help you get in?"

He opened and closed his eyes several times, trying to remember what he'd done with his key and which house was actually his. Defeated, he mumbled a, "Yes…" before groaning to himself.

Hermione signed softly, her breath misty in the cold October air. She took a step towards him, before putting her hand into his pocket and rummaging about. "Here it is."

Grimacing as he took the key, he looked towards the apartment block hopelessly. His head started to spin violently again, and he fell into Hermione, knocking her into her car.

"Woah, okay… I'll take you in."

They moved silently through the car park, remaining that way until they reached Draco's penthouse. She pushed the key into the door, twisting it and pushing the door open. She took him by the hand, through to the kitchen and the spare bedroom, and then eventually found his room. He fumbled to get his clothes off, but he managed it, and she pulled back the black silk covers and motioned for him to get in.

When he slipped into the bed clumsily, she finally broke the silence. "I just have to ask… why? Why did you disappear?"

The cogs furiously turned in his drunken mind, trying to link what she was talking about to an answer. Only one coherent thought was surfacing, so he just went ahead and said it. "Because I'm in love with you."

Looking taken aback, she frowned sympathetically. "You're drunk Draco…"

"But it's true, I do… I do love you. Isn't it obvious?" he slowly managed to say word by word in about thirty seconds.

"If you loved me, you wouldn't have cut me out of your life," she sighed, "I needed you," she whispered, almost so quietly he wasn't sure if it was his mind was playing tricks on him.

"I had to," he said, too intoxicated to be able to explain but sober enough to just _know_.

Her cinnamon eyes then locked on his steely grey, so much intensity being exchanged in that one gaze.

"I have to go… I was meant to meet Ginny over an hour ago," she said, pushing herself off of the bed. She put her hands behind her head, undoing her necklace and setting it down on his bedside table. "If you want me in your life again, bring this back to me."

Unable to stop himself, he stuck an arm out from the bed and grabbed her tiny wrist. "Stay, please."

She leant down, her face hovering over his. "I can't, Draco, I have somewhere to be."

Taking his opportunity – he would've kick himself if he hadn't, and he'd barely remember it anyway, he leant up and kissed her on the lips. It was quick, but it was so soft, and it sent sparks through him. "Okay."

"Goodbye." Her eyebrows were raised, and her expression unreadable to his drunk mind. He watched her silhouette move through his room, but was asleep before he heard the front door click shut.

* * *

**A/N- **Oh my gosh guys, I am _sooooooo _sorry for my lack of updates. I think my inspiration was pretty non-existant anyway, but the fact I only got _three_ reviews was pretty disheartening (although they still mean the world to me!) if you're still reading, and if you're enjoying, I'd really like to hear from you - just a couple of words would be great. I can't promise anything on updates, although I'm really keen to get this finished. Personally, this is one of my favourite chapters so I really hope you guys like it as much as I. Lots of love! :)

A big thanks to PSDancer54, slightlysmall, Light Under My Skin and everyone else who's ever reviewed for your support - it's so important to me!


	7. 2008

**Word Count:** 1,169

**Challenge/Competition: **One Day Competition

**Prompts:** Write a ten chapter multi-chapter with word-count between 500-1500 about what your chosen pairing is doing on each year of the same day for ten years, take my ten prompts. Prompt for this chapter: Cliff

**Warnings:** None

**Disclaimer:** I don't claim to own Harry Potter, it's all JKR's.

**Note: **Some Hermione exploration for this chapter!

* * *

**5th October ; 2008**

* * *

Hermione grabbed a wet cloth from the sink, and started to wipe at the spotless mug in her hand. There was nothing to clean – everything was without a speck of dirt, she'd spent every night in the café until at least one in the morning recently, cleaning or trying out new cake recipes or reading or drinking coffee. She'd basically _lived _at the café for the last week, trying to keep her mind busy so she wouldn't have to think about… she sighed to herself, that utter _disaster_.

After gradually finding their way to each other, accepting his friendship while he accepted hers, it just seemed to click. Okay, it was weird, but she needed to do what made her happy, and what made her happy was him. Draco Malfoy – pureblood prick, childhood nemesis, the boy who brought out her insecurities. But Hermione of all people knew that people could change… after all, the love of her life, her best friend, ended up cheating on her and then disappearing.

She'd felt like nothing in her life was going to move on if she didn't start making changes, doing new things, and taking risks. So of course, when Draco asked her out, what else was there to say but yes? It felt fresh and new and exciting, just as it did with Blaise except with slightly more meaning – this wasn't just a thing to help her get over Ron, she was over Ron (well, as much as she would ever be), this wasn't just to prove the point that she wasn't just the café owner who had the potential to be great. It was because maybe, just maybe, there was a flicker of feelings.

Realising she'd slipped into her over analytical thoughts again; she forced herself out of her mind and decided on the task of rearranging the mugs. They could be grouped by colour, smallest to biggest – that would keep her busy.

By the time she was on patterned mugs, her hands were trembling horrendously. It was two am, she'd drunk about five cups of coffee in the past couple of hours, but she knew the second that she attempted sleep her thoughts would become very loud. She dropped a mug and it smashed into little pieces, and she cursed to herself.

She knew that she should go home, but she just wasn't ready to find that daily owl, apologizing for how bad things went, asking to see her. The only saving grace was that he hadn't come by the café, she was sure that he knew it was too soon for that.

Draco still held his unnerving talent of reading her every emotion; he may as well have felt them for her. Because of this, he had the annoying tendency to pry, which paired with his straightforward attitude was obviously a recipe for disaster. On that night, he sat across their little dinner table, knocking away at her walls with a hammer. It was just horrific; she'd never experienced anything like it with anyone except Draco.

"_I just don't get it, why would he do that to you?" _

She didn't get it either, but it wasn't like she'd wanted to talk about it. And the thing was, he _knew _that which was why he persisted so much with it. All he wanted was for her to open up, but she couldn't do that – she'd put her emotions in a little black box and hidden them well as soon as she found out about Ron, and they weren't coming back out anytime soon.

"_If you're so over him, I don't even see why it matters?" _

It mattered because it was Ron, it was Ron and she'd loved him and trusted him for most of her life. And if Ron could do that to her, then anyone could. Besides, all relationships were in her mind was messy, and someone always had to get hurt.

"_I don't know, I just always thought you were so… strong."_

That was a thump to her heart. She had too always thought herself strong, but apparently even Hermione Granger couldn't resist the pain of heartbreak. But, it was something she couldn't possibly have been prepared for – in her mind; they were mere years away from marriage and children. Her world had been ripped from under her feet in seconds when she walked into his office and found him having sex with some random girl she'd never even seen before, and there was nothing she could have done to shield herself from that blow.

"_You changed, Hermione." _

Every time he said her name it sent a shiver of pleasure and a shiver of pain through her. It was their _date_, and he'd just ripped her to pieces. Knowing he wasn't exactly meaning to do that hardly dulled the hurt and her anxiety; she still wanted the ground to swallow her whole and to never see him again.

Changing seemed like the only thing she could do. With her and Ron being such well known members of Wizarding society, as well as one of the most high profile couples, their split was all over the papers within days and all she received was sympathetic looks and utterances of '_and she was supposed to be the brightest witch of her age'. _It hurt, maybe even more than the cheating itself – the betrayal was a lot larger scale than Ron probably ever imagined, but he ruined her life and so she needed to make a change. If people could start focusing on her appearance, on her string of new men, on her various charity events and anything at all she could do to take _HermioneandRonHermioneandRon splitsplitsplit _out of their minds.

So that was when she'd said it, _"Just stop it, Draco." _

Usually, she enjoyed the challenge, but there was nothing to challenge him back with as of late. His friendship with Blaise was fine, and he'd broken things off with Astoria. She didn't want to answer his questions and his statements, she didn't want to play the opening up game – he was master manipulator, she knew, but she still, after all this time, wasn't prepared.

Maybe it was because she so badly wanted things to go well, that she expected that they would. Things with them were never going to be easy, she knew that, but she still saw Draco as something good, fresh, the change that she needed – the _good _change.

After thinking about him more than she had in a long time, a slight emptiness became prominent inside her, and she realised that this feeling was her missing him. She'd become so accustomed to his owls, his impromptu café visits, his random rocking up at her apartment, that she'd forgotten what it was like to _not _have him at all. It seemed like they were on the edge of a cliff, now – she could pull him up, or knock him off.

Maybe it would be okay to face his owls now because begrudgingly, she admitted, she needed him.

* * *

**A/N- **Are you guys at all surprised it's taken me nearly a month to update? I'm terrible! Although in my defence, I've been writing bits and pieces for it for about two weeks, and rewritten it completely twice... I'm really proud of this, and I don't want any chapter to mess it up so I hope even though there's technically no Dramione interaction, that this bit of character exploration is appreciated. I'm just not going to say anything about updates, it will come when inspiration does, although I do have everything planned out.

Ooh, and this won second in the competition! Yay!

_**Please don't forget to review, reviews keep me motivated and keep me improving. Lots of love to you all!**_


	8. 2009

**Word Count: **1,281

**Challenge/Competition:** One Day Competition

**Warnings: **None

**Disclaimer:** I don't claim to own Harry Potter, it's all JKR's.

* * *

**5th October ; 2009**

* * *

Draco leant his arms onto the table and smiled as charmingly as he could. "Have you enjoyed yourself tonight?" he said, although more out of politeness than out of care.

The girl, Alicia, smiled back with an equally attractive smile. She was beautiful, he had to admit that, but dull. Everyone was dull. He couldn't remember the last time he'd clicked with somebody on a date. "Yes, it's been lovely. I hope we can do it again soon," she replied, as if perfectly practiced. That was the problem with most of these girls, they all seemed as if they'd been in wife training their whole lives.

He didn't want a woman that would say exactly what he wanted to hear and who was the most attractive woman on the planet, he wanted someone who challenged him and surprised him, who had things that they hated about themselves but he would love the most. _Merlin, you sound cheesy_, he thought to himself. But he didn't care, if love made him a fool then a fool he was.

As he paid the bill and walked Alicia out of the restaurant he had to try really hard to keep the conversation flowing, it was almost painful. He took her to a taxi and paid the driver, but before she got in she leant up to kiss him. It was a fine kiss, but it was just that. After kissing as many people as he had, there was nothing different or special about kissing, except the only kisses he could think of that blew his mind were those of eight years ago with Hermione.

And that was it, he realised... Hermione. Hermione was the problem. Mostly, he just liked to forget and pretend. They were just friends, he just really liked her coffee cake, he just liked to tease her. But no, it was more than that, because Draco Malfoy doesn't just get knocked off the dating wagon, he doesn't just turn down sex, he doesn't hate dates, not without good reason. But there was good reason, and that reason was Hermione.

It hit him like a boulder. He had to speak to her, right now. Fumbling around in his pocket, he grabbed for his phone and dialled her number. It rang and rang and his heart absolutely thumped so hard he thought it might fly out of his chest.

"...Hello?" Her voice sounded through the phone and he breathed out in relief, but suddenly panicked because he was at loss with what to say.

"Hi," he said as confidently as possible. _Hi, that was the best you could think of?_ He sighed at himself.

"It's late... are you okay? Why are you calling?" she said, voice tinged with concern.

It probably did seem odd. They weren't best friends, they didn't call each other in times of need, they just had a very complicated friendship that started with random sex, which was strange in itself. "I, uh, I just wanted to hear your voice. I've just realised something."

"What is it?"

He knew it was now or never, that this was their time - it had to be. Why, after eight years, would there still be these lingering feelings? "I can't believe I'm doing this over the phone. Merlin Hermione, I love you." It sounded ridiculous, it sounded foreign, like the words coming out from his own mouth weren't his words. But they were, and they were the complete truth.

"Come to mine." And with that, she hung up.

_Shit_, he thought. He'd messed it up, hadn't he? In what world would she have feelings for him, after everything? Still, he wasn't going to turn down an opportunity to see her, he was absolutely desperate... it had been too long, and he'd been covering up too much. A weight had been lifted off his shoulders at his admittance, he finally felt free.

He knocked at her door, and tapped his foot nervously as he waited. The door swung open to reveal Hermione in her pyjamas, looking like Hermione - the real Hermione, the one who had hid underneath all the makeup and designer clothes but the one whom he had fell in love with regardless. "Hi," he said breathlessly.

"Hi," she replied, a small smile creeping onto her face. She pulled the door completely open, before walking back into the apartment, allowing Draco to follow her in.

Draco had never felt so nervous in his entire life. His entire cocky, sarcastic demeanor had melted and his nerves had completely shattered. He sat on the table opposite Hermione, and she put a cup of coffee in front of him, then sat down opposite. They sat in silence for a tense couple of minutes, before she spoke up.

"So... what the hell was that for?" she asked, frowning whilst clasping her mug so tightly that her knuckles were white.

"What do you mean?" he replied, slightly taken aback. Not quite the response he'd expected.

"Over the phone confession of love? Come on Draco, be serious. You've had all these years and you decide to say it now. Why?" she said, now drumming her fingers against the table.

Merlin, he was about to get sappy. "It's a scary thing you know, to be in love with anyone, let alone you," he noticed her eyes widen slightly and corrected himself, "I don't mean that in a bad way, i just mean given our pasts... And I'm messed up, and you're messed up, and this has always been a messed up situation! But... gah, this is going to sound so cheesy, but I was on a date, and all I could think of was you. How you're brighter, wiser, more beautiful, more witty, more _everything_ than that girl and all girls and I realised that, today, and that was the last straw. I've tried and tried to push it to the back of my mind, but not anymore. Why should I have to? I know that my feelings aren't completely one-sided, I know that there is something between us, there has to be." He took a deep breath, hardly believing he'd just said all that. Although, it did come out mostly in the way he'd wanted it to, and he silently praised his way with words.

Hermione eyed him for a second or two, face softening. "Maybe in another life we could've..." she trailed off.

His hand shot across the table before he could stop it, grabbing hers as it tapped on the table. "No, this life. This is meant to be. This life, this world, this is our time. I know it."

She pushed herself up from the table, walking across the kitchen whilst holding her hand to her head.

"Hermione..." He got up, following her across the small space.

"Stop," she muttered, but almost as soon as the words came out of her mouth she pulled him into a searing kiss. It was such an intense kiss that he felt almost light headed when they finally came up for air. They desperately and feverishly kissed as they moved through the kitchen, then into the living room, pulling each others clothes off as they did so. It was all so frantic and desperate, like they had so much hunger for this moment and it was finally here. They reached the bedroom and he practically threw her on the bed. As he climbed on top of her, she leant up to kiss him again and in between kisses whispered "I love you, I love you, I love you."

And even though he didn't believe it when he said it and thought it, maybe he was right - it really was their time.

* * *

**AN- **Okay I _know _it's been around seven months since I last updated and I'm so so so sorry, but I hope you guys enjoy this chapter regardless. I've been on hiatus for the past two months but I am now back so yay! Thank you to slightly small, Light Under My Skin and PSDancer54 for your lovely reviews on previous chapters, sorry for the _long_ wait. Anyway, new readers and old, I hope you liked & pretty pretty please review, favourite and alert! Lots of love!


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